A total of 15 ranked teams play their final regular-season game this weekend. The MVFC has six teams ranked in the AFCA Coaches poll in advance of Sunday's playoff selection. Playoffs begin with games the weekend of April 24.
AFCA COACHES POLL
WACO, TEX.– Trailing 6-0 in the second quarter, North Dakota State’s Christian Watson returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bison a 7-6 lead, they would never let go. The Bison won 23-20, earning two first-place votes and keeping their No. 3 ranking in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Spring Poll. North Dakota State hosts No. 4 South Dakota State in the final game of the regular season.
James Madison still sits No. 1 despite only playing one game over the past five weeks. The Dukes will face No. 10 Richmond on Saturday. The rest of the Top 5 remained the same with Weber State at No. 2 and Sam Houston at No. 5.
The Bearkats are one of three other Top 25 matchups during the final weekend of the regular season as they play host to No. 22 UIW. In a battle for the top spot in the Colonial Athletic Association North Division standings, No. 7 Delaware travels to No. 11 Villanova. The final matchup is a non-conference game as No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana travels north to face No. 17 Southern Illinois.
| Rank |
Team |
Pts. |
Prev. |
Next Game |
| 1 |
James Madison (19) |
569 |
1 |
April 17 vs. No. 10 Richmond |
| 2 |
Weber St. (2) |
535 |
2 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 3 |
North Dakota St. (2) |
523 |
3 |
April 17 vs. No. 4 South Dakota St. |
| 4 |
South Dakota St. |
496 |
4 |
April 17 at No. 3 North Dakota St. |
| 5 |
Sam Houston |
486 |
5 |
April 17 at No. 22 UIW |
| 6 |
North Dakota |
468 |
6 |
April 17 at Youngstown St. |
| 7 |
Delaware |
435 |
8 |
April 17 at No. 11 Villanova |
| 8 |
Eastern Washington |
414 |
9 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 9 |
Jacksonville St. |
396 |
10 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 10 |
Richmond |
341 |
12 |
April 17 at No. 1 James Madison |
| 11 |
Villanova |
339 |
11 |
April 17 vs. No. 7 Delaware |
| 12 |
VMI |
289 |
13 |
April 17 vs. The Citadel |
| 13 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
273 |
22 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 14 |
UC Davis |
255 |
15 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 15 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
225 |
19 |
April 17 at No. 17 Southern Illinois |
| 16 |
Kennesaw St. |
223 |
7 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 17 |
Southern Illinois |
219 |
18 |
April 17 vs. No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana |
| 18 |
Missouri St. |
170 |
23 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 19 |
Murray St. |
138 |
16 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 20 |
Nicholls |
109 |
17 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 21 |
Southern |
100 |
25 |
April 17 vs. Grambling St. |
| 22 |
UIW |
75 |
14 |
April 17 vs. No. 5 Sam Houston |
| 23 |
Northern Iowa |
73 |
21 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 24 |
East Tennessee St. |
53 |
20 |
Regular Season Complete |
| 25t. |
Alabama A&M |
49 |
NR |
April 17 vs. Alabama St. |
| 25t. |
Mercer |
49 |
NR |
April 17 at Samford |
Others Receiving Votes: Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 39; Austin Peay, 33; Duquesne, 23; Gardner-Webb, 22; Sacred Heart, 12; South Carolina St., 10; Fordham, 7; Tarleton St., 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Holy Cross, 4; Idaho, 3; San Diego, 3; Prairie View A&M, 2; Davidson, 1; Delaware St., 1.
STATS PERFORM TOP 25
CHICAGO – April 12, 2021 – Jacksonville State has done quite well while becoming the first FCS school to navigate a full regular season over the unprecedented 2020-21 schedule, earning a No. 9 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 on Monday.
In a season that allows 11 regular-season games, the Gamecocks got a start on it with four nonconference games in October before they played their Ohio Valley Conference schedule in the spring semester, capping it on Sunday with a 28-14 win at then-No. 17 Murray State to claim the conference title and an automatic bid to the upcoming FCS playoffs. At 9-2, they have three more wins than any other team.
“This never gets old. I’ve never been more proud of a group than this bunch,” said coach John Grass, whose team rose one spot in the national media poll.
James Madison held the No. 1 ranking for the seventh straight week, although No. 2 North Dakota State (6-1), the three-time defending national champion, moved closer to the Dukes.
This weekend’s schedule will precede the NCAA’s announcement of the 16-team playoff pairings on Sunday. Like Jacksonville State, No. 3 Weber State (Big Sky), No. 5 Sam Houston (Southland), No. 12 Monmouth (Big South) and Sacred Heart (Northeast), just two spots outside the rankings, have clinched automatic bids already.
A national panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, which this spring includes only schools that have committed to playing a regular schedule. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 (APRIL 12)
1. James Madison (4-0, 2-0 CAA), 968 points (25 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Week 9 Result: No game
2. North Dakota State (6-1, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 950 (12)
Previous Ranking: 2; Week 9 Result: 23-20 win at then-No. 24 Northern Iowa
3. Weber State (5-0 Big Sky), 911
Previous Ranking: 3; Week 9 Result: 20-15 win over Idaho State
4. South Dakota State (4-1 Missouri Valley), 880 (1)
Previous Ranking: 4; Week 9 Result: No game
5. Sam Houston (5-0 Southland), 862 (2)
Previous Ranking: 5; Week 9 Result: 27-13 win over McNeese
6. North Dakota (4-1 Missouri Valley), 803
Previous Ranking: 6; Week 9 Result: No game
7. Delaware (4-0, 3-0 CAA), 755
Previous Ranking: 8; Week 9 Result: 34-14 win at Delaware State
8. Eastern Washington (5-1 Big Sky), 717
Previous Ranking: 9; Week 9 Result: 38-31 win over Idaho
9. Jacksonville State (9-2, 6-1 Ohio Valley), 693
Previous Ranking: 10; Week 9 Result: 28-14 win at then-No. 17 Murray State
10. Villanova (2-1 CAA), 563
Previous Ranking: 11; Week 9 Result: No game
11. Richmond (3-0 CAA), 553
Previous Ranking: 12; Week 9 Result: No game
12. Monmouth (3-0 Big South), 539
Previous Ranking: 20; Week 9 Result: 42-17 win over then-No. 7 Kennesaw State
13. UC Davis (3-2 Big Sky), 459
Previous Ranking: 13; Week 9 Result: No game
14. Missouri State (5-4, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 457
Previous Ranking: 15; Week 9 Result: 21-10 win over Youngstown State
15. VMI (5-1 Southern), 452
Previous Ranking: 14; Week 9 Result: No game
16. Kennesaw State (4-1, 2-1 Big South), 382
Previous Ranking: 7; Week 9 Result: 42-17 loss at then-No. 20 Monmouth
17. Southeastern Louisiana (4-2 Southland), 357
Previous Ranking: 23; Week 9 Result: 52-45 win at then-No. 18 Nicholls
18. Southern Illinois (4-3, 3-3 Missouri Valley), 351
Previous Ranking: 16; Week 9 Result: No game
19. Rhode Island (2-1 CAA), 252
Previous Ranking: 22; Week 9 Result: No game
20. Murray State (5-2 Ohio Valley), 231
Previous Ranking: 17; Week 9 Result: 28-14 loss to then-No. 10 Jacksonville State
21. Nicholls (4-3, 3-3 Southland), 138
Previous Ranking: 18; Week 9 Result: 52-45 loss to then-No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana
22. Austin Peay (4-5, 4-2 Ohio Valley), 137
Previous Ranking: 25 (tie); Week 9 Result: No game
23. Mercer (5-5 5-2 Southern), 130
Previous Ranking: Unranked; Week 9 Result: 21-13 win over ETSU
24. ETSU (4-2 Southern), 118
Previous Ranking: 21; Week 9 Result: 21-13 loss at Mercer
25. UIW (3-2 Southland), 104
Previous Ranking: 19; West 9 Result: 49-47 loss to Northwestern State
Dropped Out: Northern Iowa (24) and Duquesne (T25)
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Northern Iowa 75, Sacred Heart 44, Duquesne 26, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20, Gardner-Webb 19, Southern 15, Maine 14, Alabama A&M 11, San Diego 3